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FROM   THE  LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,  D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED   BY  HIM   TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


4 

PAPERS 

KiCAD    BEFORE 

THE    PRESBYTERIAN 

Sabbath-School  Superintendents'  Association, 


ON 


Sabbath-School  Hymn  and  Tune  Book, 


BY 


William  H.  Castle,    William  H.  Scott, 
Francis  B.  Reeves. 


A  Paper  on 
"  Music  and  Music  Books  for  Sabbath  Schools," 

Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Presbyterian  Sabbath-School  Superintend- 
ents* Association,  Monday  evenings  November  2/ sf,  /SSj. 

By  WILLIAM  H.   CASTLE. 


In  view  of  the  fact,  that  of  the  making  of  Hymn  and  Time  Books 
there  is  no  end,  one  might  charge  that  the  title  of  our  ' '  Tea  Table 
Talk  "  to-night  was  hypercritical,  but  where  is  the  Sunday-school  Su- 
perintendent who  finds  all  he  wants  in  any  of  these  hymn  and  tune 
books  ?  Therefore,  I  propose  to  outline  such  a  book  as  experience 
shows  that  the  Sunday-school  needs  ;  not  that  there  are  no  good 
books,  far  from  it ;  but  the  trouble  is,  that  these  books  are  not  com- 
prehensive enough. 

The  Gospel  hymn  books  served  a  good  purpose,  but  they  were 
not  designed  for  the  school-room,  but  for  the  prayer  meeting,  al- 
though some  of  the  hymns  are  suitable  for  our  use  and  do  good  ser- 
vice ;  newer  and  much  better  is  the  Westminster  Hymnal,  for  the 
Sunday-schools — probably  the  best  book  in  our  denomination  for  this 
purpose  ;  and  as  a  foundation,  enlarged  and  with  a  complete  index 
of  subjects,  it  would  serve  for  a  long  time.  For  the  regular  Sabbath 
sen-ices  in  the  church,  a  carefully  selected  and  thoroughly  prepared 
collection  of  hymns  is  made  that  is  expected  and  does  last  for  years, 
but  the  Sunday-school  is  apparently  expected  to  use  a  book   for  a 


short  time  only,  and  then  a  new  book  is  published  for  its  use,  to  be 
followed  by  other  new  books  ;  an  excellent  arrangement  for  music 
publishers,  but  not  for  the  Sundaj'-schools,  for  the  music  and  often 
the  words  of  most  of  these  new  books  verge  on  mediocrity — a  few 
good  hymns  and  tunes  worthy  of  use,  the  remainder  either  old  or  in- 
differently poor — whereas  we  should  teach  children  the  purest  and 
sublimest  Christian  poetry,  set  to  the  best  music  obtainable. 

The  Westminster  Hymnal  in  these  respects  deserves  praise. 
Many  of  its  hymns  are  taken  from  the  best  collections  of  church 
music,  notably  such  as  ' '  Saviour,  again  to  Thy  dear  name  ;  "  "  The 
Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war  ;  "  "  Hark  !  what  mean  those  holy 
voices  ;  "  but  many  others  equally  good,  such  as  "  O  come,  all  ye 
faithful,"  "All  glory,  laud,  and  honor,"  "Alleluia,  thanks  and 
glory,"  are  omitted.  The  Sunday  School  Hymnal  and  Service  Book 
used  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Schools  is  an  excellent  work,  con- 
taining some  three  hundred  and  fifty  hymns  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  chants.  This  book  has  many  Christmas  carols  and  hymns,  Eas- 
ter and  Anniversary  exercises,  but  it  does  not  have  any  of  the  grand 
German  chorals  ;  a  few  of  these  would  be  of  service  in  the  Tune  and 
Hymn  Book  I  am  indicating. 

It  may  be  said  that  children  cannot  appreciate  such  hymns,  and 
that  the  music  is  too  difficult  for  them  to  learn  ;  but  we  must  remem- 
ber that  their  minds  are  singularly  receptive,  and  what  they  learn  in 
their  early  years  is  remembered.  We  desire  to  teach  them  the  truths 
of  God's  word,  so  that  their  minds  may  be  settled  in  the  truth,  and 
to  this  end  we  use  the  best  methods  we  can  get,  the  clearest  defini- 
tions of  the  Commentaries  ;  so  we  should  teach  them  to  sing  these 
same  truths  in  the  best  forms  that  can  be  had.  I  want  to  give  the 
scholars  each  Sunday  a  hymn  that  will  come  back  to  them  all  through 
the  week,  the  melody  coming  out  unconsciously  as  they  work  or  pla3% 
as  it  does  so  frequently  with  us,  and  in  this  way  displacing  the  trashy 
songs  they  hear  and  learn  in  the  streets.     I  hold  that  the  best  is  not 


too  good  to  give  them  ;  and,  after  thoroughly  Learning  a  good  hymn, 
they  appear  to  enjoy  the  singing  of  it  as  much  as  they  do  some  of  the 
easy  marching  tunes  that  they  pick  up  after  once  hearing. 

To  specify  the  faults  I  find  in  the  Westminster  Hymnal :  first,  the 
indexing  is  not  full  enough  ;  second,  there  arc  not  enough  lessou 
hymns,  distinctively  ;  and  third,  the  selections  for  our  special  services, 
such  as  Christmas  or  Anniversaries,  are  not  full  enough.  In  this  last 
respect  it  is  like  most  of  these  books,  as  we  all  probably  can  testify. 

If  these  views  meet  your  approval,  it  is  hoped  a  request  to  the 
Board  of  Publication  may  induce  them  to  bring  out  a  Hymn  and 
Tunc  Book  free  from  the  defects  indicated,  and  that  shall  for  years 
supply  all  our  wants  of  music  for  the  Sunday-school. 


A  Paper  on 

"A  Suitable  Hymn   and  Tune   Book   for  the 

Sabbath-school." 

Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Presbyterian  Sabbath-school  Superintend- 
ents* Association,  Monday  evening,  January  16th,  1888, 

By  WILLIAM  H.  SCOTT. 


The  President  of  the  Association  has  asked  me  to  open  the  dis- 
cussion this  evening  upon  the  subject,  "A  Suitable  Hymn  and  Tune 
Book  for  the  Sabbath-school."  I  listened  with  great  interest  to  the 
remarks  upon  "  Music  and  Music  Books  for  Sabbath-schools"  at  our 
last  meeting,  and  especially  to  the  paper  read  by  Brother  Castle. 
Four  years  ago,  just  after  the  Westminster  Hymnal  was  issued,  we  had 
this  same  subject  for  our  tea-table  talk,  and  I  remember  the  prevail- 
ing sentiment  of  the  meeting  was,  that  the  Westminster  Hymnal  was 
weak  and  not  of  a  high  standard.  The  meeting  in  November  last 
convinced  me  that  a  change  had  come  over  the  minds  of  many 
superintendents,  and  that  Brother  Castle's  paper  expressed  the  views 
of  most  of  the  members,  that  while  the  Westminster  Hymnal  has 
faults  (and  all  hymn  books  have),  it  is  a  suitable  hymn  and  tune 
book  for  the  Sabbath-school  after  all. 

This  question  cannot  be  discussed  in  a  more  practical  way  than 
by  my  answering  the  question,  What  influenced  the  Eastside  Pres- 
byterian Sabbath-school  of  Germantown,  born  on  the  first  day  of 
January  this    year,   and   of  which    I    have   the   honor  of   being   the 

(5) 


superintendent,  to  select,  as  the  most  suitable  hymn  and  tune  book 
for  the  Sabbath-school,  the  Westminster  Hymnal? 

While  the  tea-table  talk  at  the  November  meeting  and  the  paper 
of  Brother  Castle  had  their  influence,  the  first  reason  I  will  give  is, 
its  use  in  the  Home  School  for  four  years,  the  Market  Square,  and 
the  Mt.  Airy  School  for  the  same  period.  If  the  proof  of  the  pud- 
ding is  the  eating  of  it,  the  proof  of  a  hymn  book  is  the  using  of 
it.  The  lamented  Dr.  Dulles,  so  long  superintendent  of  this  school 
(The  Walnut  Street,  West  Philadelphia),  and  one  of  the  compilers 
of  the  Westminster  Hymnal,  wrote,  in  the  introduction  :  "It  aims 
to  give  as  to  both  hymns  and  tunes  :  (i)  What  our  young  people 
can  sing  ;  (2)  what  they  will  sing  ;  and  (3)  what  they  ought  to 
sing. ' '  After  four  years'  experience  with  the  book  I  find  that  the 
young  can  and  will  sing  the  hymns  and  tunes  found  therein,  and  if 
the  compilers  committed  any  wrong  in  the  matter  of  what  ought  to 
be  sung,  they  are  rather  sins  of  omission  than  of  commission.  We 
adopted  it,  therefore,  because  it  was  a  tried  book. 

A  second  reason  influencing  us  in  the  choice  of  the  Westminster 
Hymnal  was,  that  it  compared  favorably  with  other  books we  examined. 
Not  that  we  examined  all,  or  even  many,  for  Brother  Castle  says  in 
his  paper,  ' '  of  the  making  of  hymn  and  tune  books  there  is  no 
end."  Personally,  not  being  a  musician,  I  sat  in  judgment  on  the 
hymns  rather  than  on  the  tunes,  except  where  the  tunes  were  famil- 
iar to  me,  and  I  must  say  that  ' '  Songs  of  Worship  for  the  Sunday- 
school,"  edited  by  Waldo  S.  Pratt  and  published  by  the  Century 
Company  only  a  few  months  ago,  is  a  very  superior  book  and  better, 
in  my  judgment,  than  the  Westminster  Hymnal  in  two  particulars  : 
first,  in  its  "get  up,"  and  by  this  I  mean  the  composition,  paper, 
press-work,  and  binding  ;  and  secondly,  the  first  twenty-nine  hymns 
in  the  book  are  "songs  of  the  L,ord's  day,"  whereas  the  Hymnal 
has  but  three  hymns  bearing  on  the  sacred  day  of  rest.  In  com- 
paring the  two  books,  however,  I  found  that  some  of  the  best  hymns 


were  in  both  books,  and  that,  while  the  Century  Company's  book  has 

numbers  and  the  Westminster  Hymnal  258,  about  one-quarter 

of  the  hymns  are  the  same  in  both  books.     Admitting  that  they  are 

both  equally  good,  or  that  one  is  a  little  better  than  the  other,  we 

were  led  to  the  selection  of  the  Westminster  Hymnal, 

Thirdly,  Because  of  loyalty  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  her 

publications.  The  General  Assembly  saw  the  need  of  a  Sabbath  - 
SChool    hymn    book    and    reeomniended    its    preparation.       Rev.    Dr. 

Dulles  and  Mr.  Seward  undertook  the  work.  Dr.  Dulles,  at 
least,  knew  what  hymns  ought  to  be  used,  and  Mr.  Seward,  at 
least,  knew  to  what  tunes  they  ought  to  be  sung.  Xo  doubt 
there  are  those  in  the  church  who  think  the}-  could  have  done  the 
work  better,  but  I  doubt  if  others  had  been  appointed  to  compile  the 
book  it  would  have  been  any  freer  from  faults  than  we  now  have- 
it.  We  therefore  adopted  it  because  it  was  issued  by  the  Presby- 
terian Board  of  Publication.  I  think  the  only  way  to  meet  entirely 
this  question  of  suitable  music  in  the  Sabbath-school  is  the  way  in 
which  we  acted  as  regards  our  library.  Loyalty  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  confidence  in  the  Committee  appointed  by  the  Board 
to  supervise  its  publications,  led  us  to  place  in  the  library,  nearly  all 
of  our  own  books,  and  now  we  are  prepared  to  build  on  this  solid 
foundation  other  publications — the  gold  and  the  silver,  we  trust,  of 
Sabbath-sehool  literature,  and  not  the  wood,  the  hay,  and  the  stub- 
ble. Such,  I  think,  is  the  way  we  can  meet  this  question  of  music 
for  the  Sabbath-school.  Xow  that  we  have  the  Westminster  Hymnal, 
if  on  certain  occasions  we  require  other  hymns  not  found  in  the  book, 
it  is  easy  to  have  these  printed  on  slips  for  the  use  of  the  school,  and 
thus  supplement  this  valuable  publication.  In  this  way  Brother 
Castle's  third  fault  to  the  Westminster  Hymnal, — that  "  the  selections 
for  our  special  services  are  not  full  enough," — is  partially  removed. 
As  to  the  first  fault  he  finds, — "  the  indexing," — let  me  suggest,  until 
this  is  corrected,  that  each  superintendent  prepare  an  index  of  his 


own,  and  in  this  way  he  will  become  as  familiar  with  the  hymns  and 
their  numbers  as  a  bookkeeper  indexing  his  ledger  becomes  familiar 
with  the  accounts,  and  can  often  turn  to  an  account  without  refer- 
ence to  the  index.  As  to  Brother  Castle's  second  fault, — "there 
are  not  enough  lesson  hymns,  distinctively," — while  this  is  some- 
times true,  yet  yesterday  was  an  exception,  for  it  would  be  hard  to 
find  three  more  appropriate  hymns  on  the  lesson  of  ' '  Jesus  Walking 
on  the  Sea,"  than  "  'Tis  I,  Be  Not  Afraid,"  "Out  Amid  the  Waves 

of  Ocean." 

"Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul, 
Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly, 
While  the  billows  near  me  roll, 
While  the  tempest  still  is  high." 

Often  the  fault  is  with  the  selections.  Sometimes  the  most  ap- 
propriate hymns  are  overlooked  and  the  numbers  not  put  on  the 
lesson  papers,  and,  again,  the  same  hymn  is  given  for  two  successive 
Sabbaths.  I  must  say  there  is  a  change  for  the  better,  thus  far,  in 
this  particular,  in  the  Board's  publications  for  this  year.  Now,  while 
I  believe  in  loyalty  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  her  publications, 
I  also  believe  the  Board  of  Publication  ought  to  be  wide  awake  to 
the  demands  of  the  Church  and  Sabbath-school,  and  quickly  make 
all  improvements. 

I  consider  that  we  now  have  a  suitable  hymn  and  tune  book  for 
the  Sabbath-school ;  but,  if  about  fifty  hymns  were  added,  and  the 
index  made  more  complete,  we  will  have  the  very  best  book  pub- 
lished. 


UA  Suitable  Hymn  and  Tune  Book  por  our 
Sunday-Schools." 

Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Presbyterian  Sabbath-school  Superintend- 
ents1 Association^  Monday  evening \  January  rdth,  t888. 

By  FRANCIS  H.   REEVES. 


What  is  its  name  if  it  exists,  and  how  can  it  be  produced  if  not  yet 
published  ?  The  Presbyterian  Sunday-school  Superintendents'  As- 
sociation rightly  regards  this  question  as  of  enough  importance  to 
carry  it  through  two  of  their  tea-table  talks,  possibly  to  bear  fruit 
later  on.  It  is  an  old,  old  question,  settled  many  a  time  and  revived 
again  with  the  birth  of  each  succeeding  production.  Hymn  books 
come  and  hymn  books  go,  but  the  call  for  another  and  a  better  rolls  on 
forever. 

I  would  suggest,  first,  that  there  may  be  a  distinction  between  a 
"  suitable  "  book  and  the  best  book  for  our  Sunday-schools.  Unhap- 
pily the  highest  standard  of  merit,  whether  as  to  hymns  or  tunes,  is 
not  precisely  the  standard  which  the  schools  themselves  would  re- 
gard as  "suitable."  Excellent  books  are  in  existence  that  are  not 
popular  because  the  compilers  were  not  willing  to  go  far  enough  in 
the  compromise  demanded  of  their  personal  judgment  to  meet  the 
popular  taste. 

The  Westminster  Sunday-school  Hymnal  has  been  referred  to 
most  favorably  by  Brothers  Castle  and  Scott,  and  is  well  worthy  of 

(9) 


IO 

their  kindly  criticisms.  Its  selections  are  quite  good  enough  as  far 
as  they  go,  but  no  book  of  250  hymns  can  meet  every  demand  made 
upon  it.  The  book  for  which  we  are  looking  should  contain  more 
than  double  that  number.  The  Board  of  Publication  in  its  introduc- 
tion confesses  to  the  difficulty  of  ' '  packing  any  more  into  the  book 
without  increasing  its  size  and  cost,"  but  later  achievements  have 
shown  us  that  the  size  may  now  be  increased  while  the  cost  is  re- 
duced. The  good  conscience  brought  to  bear  by  the  late  lamented 
Dr.  Dulles  and  Mr.  Seward  in  the  compilation  of  the  ' '  Westminster  ' ' 
is  conspicuous  in  the  high  tone  of  the  hymns  selected,  and  by  their 
declaration  in  the  preface  that  they  "  have  aimed  to  give  as  to  both 
hymns  and  tunes  :  1st.  What  our  young  people  can  sing.  2d. 
What  they  will  sing.     3d.  What  they  ought  to  sing." 

We  may  know  what  ought  to  be  regarded  as  suitable  hymns  and 
tunes  for  our  schools,  but  we  may  find  not  only  that  the  popular  ver- 
dict does  not  sustain  our  views,  but  that  our  own  schools  may  require 
a  spiritual  awakening  before  they  shall  come  to  appreciate  and  love  the 
very  best  of  our  selections.  It  is  because  it  has  been  thought  that  the 
supph'  must  be  of  a  character  adapted  to  meet  the  demand  that  the  mar- 
ket is  well  nigh  flooded  with  good  Sundaj^-school  hymn  books  upon 
which  popular  favor  was  lavishly  bestowed  for  a  very  brief  season. 
All  have  been  launched,  however,  with  the  utmost  confidence  in  their 
staying  qualities  upon  the  part  of  their  publishers. 

Twelve  years  ago  the  American  Sunda}r  School  Union  issued 
"  Calvary  Songs,"  edited  by  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  S.  Robinson  and  Theo- 
dore B.  Perkins,  in  the  preface  to  which  I  find  their  fond  hope  of  long 
life  thus  expressed  :  "  It  is  hoped  that  this  book  will  be  sufficient  for 
the  real  use  of  any  ordinary  Sunday-school  for  at  least  twenty  years  ; 
only  let  there  be  enterprise  in  learning  to  sing  the  pieces,  so  as  to 
bring  them  all  into  service. ' '  It  was  better  than  the  average  book,  but 
we  found  its  chief  editor  issuing  ' '  Spiritual  Songs  for  the  Sunday- 
school,"  only  five  years  afterwards,  and  now  the  American  Sunday 


1 1 

School  Union  is  out  with  the  new  "People's  Hymn  and  Tune  Book." 
After  five  years'  use  of  "Spiritual  for  the  Sunday-school"  in 

Wakefield  Sunday-school,  I  can  testify  to  its  admirable  wearing  qual- 
ities ;  nevertheless  it  is  lacking  in  sonic  important  elements  of  a 
"  suitable  "  book.  We  sometimes  long  for  hymns  not  to  be  found  in 
its  list  of  273  carefully  chosen  songs.  "The  People's  Hymn  and 
Tune  Book,"  to  which  I  have  referred,  may  be  commended  for  both 
quality  and  cheapness.  Three  hundred  and  fifty  hymns,  with  music 
enough  for  all  of  them,  in  board  covers,  all  for  fifteen  cents,  marks  a 
welcome  reform  in  the  line  of  reduced  taxation  for  school  and  church 
expenses,  a  matter  often  standing  in  the  way  of  making  a  needed 
change  of  hymn  books.  Concerning  the  merit  of  the  compilation 
it  may  be  said  of  it,  as  of  the  majority,  it  contains  some  hymns  and 
tunes  that  we  have  no  further  use  for,  while  some  we  wish  for 
are  among  the  missing.  At  the  price  of  it,  it  will  go  upon  a  wide 
and  a  useful  mission  in  and  out  of  the  Sunday-school. 

The  makers  of  a  new  and  suitable  book  for  our  schools  will  prob- 
ably recognize  two  great  facts,  and  try  to  reconcile  them.  First,  the 
vService  of  Song  for  the  Sunday-school  must  be  devotional,  reverential, 
serious,  solid.  Second,  the  Sen-ice  of  Song  for  the  Sunday-school 
must  be  light,  bright,  cheerful,  "  taking,"  so  much  so  that  the  effect 
of  the  singing  will  be  as  Brother  Castle  desires,  "  to  come  back  to  the 
scholars  all  through  the  week,  the  melod)-  coming  out  unconsciously 
as  they  work  or  play." 

I  would  wish  to  see  the  bars  all  down,  so  that  no  copyright  should 
deprive  the  makers  of  the  next  book  from  using  everything  good  in 
everybody  else's  collection,  but  this,  I  suppose,  is  impossible.  Then 
I  would  have  a  committee  of  musical  Sunday-school  workers  to  go  at 
them,  settle  down  upon  about  five  hundred  of  the  most  suitable,  and 
have  the  collection  so  put  together  that  it  could  be  furnished  to 
Sunday-schools,  in  board  covers,  at  twenty-five  cents  each  by  the 
hundred.     It  would  contain  the  serious  strains  of  William  Cowper, 


12 

"  O  for  a  closer  walk  with  God,"  and  "  God  moves  in  a  mysterious 
way  his  wonders  to  perform  ;"  and  the  heart- warming  songs  of  Charles 
Wesley,  "Jesus  lover  of  my  soul "  being  named  as  an  example  only, 
and  this  we  would  have  entire,  just  as  it  was  composed.  It  would 
find  places  for  Loplady's  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  Perronet's  "  All  hail  the 
power  of  Jesus'  name,"  for  Bishop  Heber's  "  By  cool  Siloam's  shady 
rill"  and  "  Bread  of  the  world  in  mercy  broken,"  for  Watts'  "  When 
I  survey  the  wondrous  cross,"  Anne  Steele's  "Father,  whate'er  of 
earthly  bliss  thy  sovereign  will  desires,"  for  Bishop  Kerr's  "  Glory  to 
thee  my  God  this  night,"  for  Grigg's  "Jesus  and  shall  it  ever  be," 
and  for  that  grand  eighth  century  hymn  of  St.  Stephen  the  Sabbaite, 
"  Art  thou  weary,  art  thou  languid?  "  and  it  will  give  place,  too,  for 
all  the  more  modern  hymns  of  the  character  of  Lyte's  precious  inspira- 
tion, "Abide  with  me,  fast  falls  the  eventide,"  Charlotte  Elliott's 
"Just  as  I  am,"  Mrs.  Adams'  "  Nearer  my  God  to  Thee,"  Muhlen- 
berg's "Saviour  who  thy  flock  art  feeding,"  Bonar's  "  I  heard  the 
voice  of  Jesus  say,"  and  Whittier's  "  We  may  not  climb  the  heavenly 
steeps  to  bring  the  Lord  Christ  down. ' '  To  all  such  as  these  they  will 
add  the  spiritual  verses  of  Bliss,  Sweney,  Hastings,  Fannie  Crosby, 
and  Lydia  Baxter.  Enough  have  been  written  both  of  hymns  and 
tunes.  The  best  book  will  be  the  best  collection  from  the  gems 
already  discovered,  every  one  discarded  that  has  not  developed  either 
spiritual  power  or  musical  excellence,  none  retained  that  are  lacking 
in  these  essential  elements  of  suitableness,  however  they  may  once 
have  risen,  mushroom-like,  overloaded  with  tenderness  of  sentiment, 
into  a  fancied  popularity  in  Sunday-school  and  Gospel  meetings. 

Such  a  book  would  find  its  way  speedily  to  our  social  and  prayer 
meetings  and  even  into  many  of  our  churches,  and  thus  serve  as  a 
helper  in  the  search  for  the  longed-for  missing  link  between  the  Sun- 
day-school and  the  church. 


Gay/ord  Bros. 

Makors 
Syracuse.  N    V 

wr.  inn.  ii.  ins 


